KPop Demon Hunters OST Reaches No. 1 on Billboard 200 – First Soundtrack to Top Chart in 3.5 Years

The soundtrack for Netflix’s animated series “KPop Demon Hunters” jumped from second place to first on the September 20 issue of the Billboard 200 chart. The album had previously remained in second position for seven non-consecutive weeks before achieving its first number-one ranking. This success is believed to be driven by the deluxe reissue released on September 5, which included additional tracks, along with the sudden release of a CD version. In the week ending September 11, the album recorded 128,000 album equivalent units in the United States, representing a 7% increase from the previous week. The impact of this soundtrack extends beyond its chart performance. It produced four top 10 hits simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. This is the highest number of top 10 songs from a single soundtrack in nearly 30 years, and it marks the first time in history that four tracks have entered the top 10 at the same time. In particular, “Golden” by HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI) reached number one on the singles chart. “KPop Demon Hunters”’ ascent to the top spot marks the first time in 3.5 years that a soundtrack has achieved this feat since the soundtrack for another animated film, “Encanto.” The “Encanto” soundtrack held the number-one position for a total of nine non-consecutive weeks from January 15 to March 19, 2022. Notably, it reached the top spot just 12 weeks after debuting on the chart, which is the longest waiting period since Toby Keith’s album topped the charts on February 17, 2024. When considering continuous climbs, there have been even longer waits. In August 2021, The Kid LAROI’s “F*ck Love” rose from 26th to number one after being on the chart for 53 consecutive weeks, during which a second reissue occurred. Among music soundtracks, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” reached number one from second place after 63 consecutive weeks in March 2002, following its victory for Album of the Year at the 44th Grammy Awards held on February 27 of that same year. Additionally, “KPop Demon Hunters” stayed in second place for seven non-consecutive weeks before reaching number one, which is the longest stay in second place prior to a number-one finish in nearly 50 years. Linda Ronstadt’s “Simple Dreams” spent nine weeks in second place in October and November 1977, while “Built for Speed” by Stray Cats held second place for 15 weeks in 1982 and 1983.